Jar-closure.



L. F. STOUT.

JAR CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1913.

1,151,303. Patented Augr24, 1915.

WTEED STATE PATENT @FFIQE. e

LEWIS F. STOUT, OF LOGIQORT, NEW YORK.

JAR CLOSURE.

Application filed September 5, 19,13.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEWIS F. STOUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lockport, in the county of Niagara, State of .New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in J ar-Closures,

of which the following is a description, reference being had-to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon. I

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in jar closures.

Much difiiculty has been experienced in sealing fruit jars of the screw top type,.such as are known to the trade as the Mason fruit jars. This difliculty is occasioned by the fact that the mouths of the jars have,

from time to time, been formed of dilferent sizesand consequently the sealing rings used at one time are not ofa proper sue for a later sized ar. Furthermore, much trouble is encountered by the user in obtaining the proper sized rings for the reasons above The principal object of myinvention is, therefore, to provide a sealing means for this particular type of jar, by means of which jars of different sizes may be readily sealed.

Another, object of, the invention is to pro- 7 'vide a sealing device which, after the jar has been scaled, may be removed from said jarfor further use.-

. 1 is a sideelevation showing the application of my invention to the mouth of a jar;

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sealing means which will centrally bear upon the top or closure of the jar and thereby transmit a uniform pressure to said closure, thereby effectually sealing therjar.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure Fig. 2 is a top planview thereof; Fig. 3 is anenlargeddetail cross sectional view taken centrally through the sealing device; Fig. 4

is a perspective view 'vof the clamping memher; and, Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing another form .of the sealing device.

Like reference numerals designate corre- .sponding parts in all figures of the draw- -1ngs.

1 Referring to the drawings, I have 111118- trated a jar 5, which is of the Mason type I and provided with an eXteriorly threaded mouth 6. V v zone-form of the sealing device, as is Specification of Letters Patent.

opposite points. tain the closure 15 upon the jar 5through Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

Serial No. 788,298.

illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, there is provided a clamping member 7, formed from flat spring metal and bent into U- shape. This member comprises a bridge portion 8 and spaced clamping legs 9-9,

: the ends of said legs being curved inwardly to form thread-engaging feet 10-10. The

inner edges of-these feet are concaved, as

at 1l,,11, to conform to the contour of the threaded mouthfi. In orderto impart sufficient strength to the bridge portion 8, said- POItlOIl is provided with a plurality of spaced longitudinal ribs l2fl2, said ribs 7 being preferably formed by pressing the metal of said portion.

Centrally formed in the bridge portion 8,

between the ribs, is an elongated slot 13, this slot preferably terminating in spaced relation to the legs 9. Formedin each leg 9, adjacent the bridge portion 8, is a centrally disposed opening 14.

Associated wi h the jar sure 15,-which is preferably formed of ,glass,

although any othersuitable materialmay be employed.

In order to seal the jar 5 after theclosure 15 has been placed thereon, the clamping member 7 is positioned to straddle the closure 15, and the spring legs.99 are caused, through the feet-10,,to frictionally-engage the threads ofvthe mouth 6at diametrically In order to force and rethe-medium of :the clamping member 7, I

have provided-a cam lever 16., which swings or the like,'is a shoe 20. This shoe is of U- shaped construction and the ears thereof are engaged by the pin 19. The body portion21 of this shoe is dis osed in spaced relation below thecam 1 and is adapted, when the lever is in its upright position, to

engage the closure .15 of the jar.

In order to quickly elevate the shoe 20 from its engagement with the closure 15,

when the cam 17 has been disengaged from the bridge portion 8, I have provided a re- 5 is atop or-oloi silient means, which, in thisinstance, com-V This prises an elongated fiat spring 22. spring is centrally bowed, as at 23, and this bowed portion is disposed intermediate the cam 17 and the body portion 21 of said shoe. ,Theends of this spring are of... sllfiicient length to extend through the openings 11 formed in the legs '9 and slightly therevbeyond. By extending the ends of this spring a short distance beyond the legs 9,

legs 9 may be sprung outwardly to engage ars oflarger s zes wlthout d1sconnect ing said spring from said legs.

From" the foregoing it will be observed that when the parts are positio'ned'upon a jar as above described, and thecamlever 161s swung to a vertical position, the cam member.

* threads of themouth 6 'ofthe jar. At the 7 same time the cam 17 willcause the ,foot 20 to be forced downwardly upon the closure Q15 and against'the tension of the spring 22.

As soon as-thelever 16 is swung to either side ofthe vertical line, the pivot 19 will'be moved closer to the bridge portion "8 of the clamping member, carrying the shoe 20,.

this upwardmovement'of the shoe being assisted by the spring 22. c The legs 9 can by curving the feet 10 of the clamping member to conform to the curvature of the threads, afirm grippingfmeans isthereby formed.

' It will sometimes be found in practice that 15. cWhen this is the case, the operator can readily rotate' the clamping member upon the threads in the proper direction and "thereby cause the bridge portion 8 to be:

disposed closer to the closure 15 so'that when 7 the 'lever'16 is again actuated,the closure will be forced tightly upon the jar.

' legs 9. The bridge portion 8 ,in'this form,

' however, is centrally formed with an up-' iwardly extending interiorly threaded-boss v is afoot piece 28. I olamp'ing member has been properly pos1-" wheel 26. Secured to the lower end of this stem by means of a ball and socket joint 27 In practice, after the piece 28 will be caused to tightly bear upon the closure 15 and at .the same time cause of the clamping member is longer than the other leg to permitiof the feet 10 being .i properly positioned to" engage the thread at opposite sides of the jar i instance, cam lugs.

From the foregolng the appended claims.

This 'is due to tioned to engage the threads of a jar, and the closure 15 positioned upon the mouth of said jar, the stem 25 is rotated by means of the hand wheel 26. Asa-result, the foot the clamping'member 7 to tightly engagethe threads of the jar. l By forming the ball and socket joint 27 between theQstem 25 and footpiece 28, said foot piece will always be properly'positioned upon the closure 15, re-

. gardless of the angle'assumed by the clamping member 7. I

- It will be observed" that one of the legs 9 While Iv have disclosed a jar having.

threads formed at its mouth, it will, of course, be understood that anyequ'ivale'nt" of the threads may be employed, suoh as, for

that I" have provided a clamping'member which includes'sp'ring legs carrying feet for "engagement with the threads of jars of dif: 'ferent' sizes; and-that a 'means iscentrally carried by the clamping member,, andfco-" operates with said member, to force'the closure tightly upon-the jar. r then'besprungoutwardly and the sealing device thereby disengaged-from the jar.

It will beobserved in this connection that It is obvious that minor changes inthe details of construction and the arrangement of it 111 be] (strad- 9O parts may; be made without departing from the spirit'of the invention, as set' forth in Having "thus described my inventiong lwhat I claim is:

{ 1. Ina sealing device for jar s, fli i big nation of an inverted U-shaped clamping member formed fromfi'at spring metal and comprising abridge portion and-'spaced'legs, the latter being formed with'inwardly' exthreads of a jar, said bridge portion being erating in said slot'and formed with ;a cam tending feet for engag'ement with" the' at its lower end for engagement with {said Y nected to said cam for forcing the closure 1 downwardly upon the jar whenjthe'lever' is moved to its locking position? f In the form illustrated in Fig.5 of the drawings the clamping member, 7 is not formed with the opening 13 in the bridge "portion 8, nor with the openings 14: in the 2. In a sealing device for jars, the combimemberformed from flatspring metal an comprising a bridge portion and spaced legs,

bridge portion, and a shoe 'pi'votallyconthe latter being formed withinwardly ex- 8 tending feet for-' engagement with the threads of a jar, said bridge-portion being formed with an elongated slot, a lever operating in said slot and formed with a cam at its lowerend for engagementwith said bridge portion, a shoe pivotally connected to said cam, for forcing the closure dow s- Wardly pon the jar whe'n the lever'is moved 130 to its locking position, and a spring disposed between the cam and the shoe and having its ends loosely mounted in the legs of said clamping element for elevating said shoe from the closure when said lever is shifted to its releasing position.

3. In a sealing device for jars, the combination of an inverted U-shaped clamping member formed from fiatspring metal, and comprising a bridge portion and spaced legs, one leg being longer than the other to accommodate said clamping member to the threads of the jar, said legs having inwardly extending feet for engagement with said Copies otfliis patent may be obtained for threads, said bridge portion being formed with an elongated slot, a lever operating in said slot and formed with a cam at its lower end for engagement with the bridge portion, and a shoe connected to said cam for forcing the closure downwardly upon the jar when the lever is moved to its locking position.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS F. STOUT. Witnesses:

FRANK E. STooKWELL, BURT A. SMITH.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0. 

